Air-check for sliding doors.



H. LAUGHLIN, JR. & D. SGHUYLER.

AIR CHECK FOR SLIDING DOORS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1904.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Wily V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER LAUGHLIN, JR., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND DANIEL SCI-IUYLER,

OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE PERFECT SLIDING DOOR COM- PANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

AIR-CHECK FOR SLIDING DOORS.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application filed July 12, 1904. Serial No. 216,234

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HOMER LAUGHLIN, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, and DANIEL SGHUY LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Air- Check for Sliding Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air checks which are especially applicable to edgewise moving closures, but the same may be used for swinging doors and for other appliances in which it is desired to slowly stop a moving object.

In embodying this invention we present a yielding air cushion in the path of the door to check its motion without connecting the mechanism with the door at any time throughout its entire movement, thus leaving the door perfectly free to be opened. This feature is not claimed as broadly new for swinging doors.

An object of this invention is to make an improvement for sliding doors whereby slamming the same is obviated, but their opening movement is not impeded in any way whatever by the checking device; and the invention includes an air check for doors and the like, having novel, adjustable means independent of the door for bringing the door intercepting or cushioning device into cushioning position.

The invention includes in combination, two parts, one of which has a movement to V the other, an intercepting device carried by one of the parts and independent of and disconnected from the other part and adapted to come into contact with such other part at the close of the approach of either toward the other, means for retarding the movement of the intercepting device while the parts are being brought together, and means for returning the intercepting device to its normal intercepting position when the parts are separated.

A further object is to provide an air check for sliding doors whi chca-n be mounted with minimum expense and labor, and which will be unobstructive when the door is open and fully concealed when the door is closed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental sectional view with the door opened and in engagement with the piston rod. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of parts of one end of the check. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line III-III Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the air cushion adjusting device. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing one form of adjustable mounting for using the check with swinging doors, fragments of the door and header being shown. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts shown in section in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a conventional view of the door mounted to move laterally on rollers and provided with this invention.

1 designates an edgewise movable door, and 2, a door jamb or other stationary part; 3 indicates a stationary pneumatic checking cylinder mounted horizontally in the doorjamb and being seated inv a bore extending inwardly from the edge thereof toward which the door slides. The door-intercepting device comprises a hollow piston rod having a bufier 9 on its outer end, said device being disconnected from the door and adapted to move in a straight line toward and from the same.

5 is an air valve consisting of a screw having a bevel increasing in depth from its head toward its inner end for retarding the escape of air from the chamber 6. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the screw may be adjusted to provide a smaller or larger vent to retard the movement of the door-intercepting device more or less as may be desired.

7 indicates a spring surrounding the piston rod located within the cylinder, and constituting means independent of and disconnected from the door for returning the door-intercepting device to its door-intercepting, checking and cushioning position, fully projecting from the cylinder. Said devices are made conveniently detachable and adjustable, the same adjustably connecting the cap and piston by a novel con struction more clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, in which 8 is a slotted shoulder in the form of a segment washer which is fastened by swaging or otherwise to the piston rod 41; and 81 is a corresponding slotted shoulder fastened to the cylinder cap 31 of the cylinder 3.

Referring to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the cylinder cap 31 is provided with a neck at extending into the cylinder around the piston rod. Said neck is furnished at its inner end with a radial flange 6, having a cut 0, the flange being deflect-ed at (Z on one side of said cut in order that the spring may be more readily fed through said cut onto the neck when cap 31 is rotated relative to the spring. The spiral spring 7 is held in place at its ends by inserting the shoulders 8 and 81 between'the coils of the spring. The tension upon the spring when extended is increased or diminished by rotating the piston rod 41 and the cylinder cap 31 relative to each other while the coils are caught upon said shoulders. Vhen turned in one direction, the coils of the spiral spring will screw along the shoulders through the slots with which the rotary members 8 and 31 are provided, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, thus increasing or decreasing the operative portion of the spring which is between said shoulders 8 and 81. To increase the ten-. sion, the piston rod will be turned in one direction relative to the cylinder 31, to decrease the amount of coil spring between the shoulders, and to decrease the tension, the rod is turned in a reverse direction.

. 9 designates a cushion mounted on the outer end of the piston rod and consisting of a plug of resilient or soft material i11- serted in the hollow end of the piston rod and having a head to engage the part with which the intercepting device is to come into contact.

10 designates an arm adjustably fastened to a swinging door 11 by means of a bolt 12 screwed into a plate 13 and held by a jam nut 14.

The cylinder 3 is shown in Fig. 5 as being mounted in the header of the door frame, but it is to be understood that it may be mounted in a stop of a door casing or attached to such stop with its intercepting device in the path of the door instead of using the arm 10 or like adjunct.

The radially slotted or segmental washers which form the slotted shoulders 8 and 81 are preferably used, as by this means very thin shoulders are readily secured solidly to the cap and rod.

The cylinder has a projection as shown at 31 preferably formed by the cap at the end through which the piston rod extends so that in practice the cylinder can be mounted by simply inserting it into a hole bored for that purpose in the jamb, door stop or casing, or in the edge of the door if desired. The projection 31 forms a stationary stop for the door. The said hole as shown at 32 is of greater diameter than the cylinder and less diameter than the projection, so that its wall forms a stop, to hold the cylinder in opposition to the action of the piston when the parts come together.

By seating the cylinder in a hole in the door jamb or casing, or in the edge of the sliding door, and arranging the piston to move in a right line along the path of the door, the sliding door is gently stopped without setting up vibration in the door, and when the door is closed, the door check is wholly concealed.

hat we claim is:

1. An air check comprising a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a rod extending from the piston to intercept an object to be checked, a spring connected with the cylinder and surrounding the rod for returning the piston, and a rotary cap on the outer end of the cylinder adapted to adjust the a tension of the spring.

2. An air check comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted therein, a spiral spring connected with the piston to return the same to checking position, a rotary cap on the outer end of the cylinder adapted to adjust the tension of the spring, said cap having an inwardly-extending neck provided with a radial flange having a cut therein, a coil of said spring being led through said cut.

3. In combination, a door, a door jamb, a cylinder in said jamb, a piston and piston rod in said cylinder, said rod being mounted independently of and free from the door and provided with a buifer 9 to impinge against the door, a cap at the outer end of said cylinder and surrounding said rod, said cap having a neck extending into the cylinder around said rod, said neck being furnished with a radial flange having a cut, and a spiral spring around said rod and having one of its coils extending through said cut.

4. An air check comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, said piston being furnished with a piston rod, a spring around said rod, and means for withdrawing from operative relation a part of the operative portion of said spring.

5. An air check comprising a cylinder, at In testimony whereof We have signed this 10 cylinder cap therefor, a piston in said cylspecification in the presence of two subscribinder and having a rod extending through ing Witnesses at Bridgeport, Connecticut, the cap, a coil spring fastened to the cap, this 30th. day of June 1904. and slotted shoulders on the cap adapted to HOMER LAUGHLIN, JR. screw along the coils of the spring to dif- DANIEL SCHUYLER. ferent places along the length of the spring WVitnesses: to increase and diminish the tension of the JAMES R. TOWNSEND, springs. ELIZABETH LEONARD. 

